It is known to provide a wheel structure, especially on heavy vehicles, including replaceable bolts for holding the wheel rims on the bodies, the wheel body being that portion of the structure which is attached to the axle of the vehicle. Replaceable bolts, rather than welded studs, are used because the bolts are subject to fracture and must be replaced from time to time.
The bolts thus used are connected in some fashion to the wheel body and must be retained in a position parallel with the wheel axis, even when the tire-carrying rim is removed. Examples of such devices are shown in Swiss Pat. Nos. 466,733; 471,695; and 474,379.
In each of these cases, the bolts extend from the inner side of the wheel body through the body wall to the exterior of the wheel body, leaving exposed threaded portions of the bolts so that the wheel rims can placed thereon and attaching nuts can be threaded on to the exposed stud-like portions to retain the rim. As previously indicated, in order to facilitate mounting of the rims, it is important that the bolts extend parallel to the wheel axis. If the heads of the bolts bear against the inner side of the wheel body wall only, as shown for example in Swiss Pat. No. 471,695, the bolts must be held against the outside of the wall in some fashion, such as shown in Swiss Pat. No. 474,379, in which example nuts and clamps are employed. Without such retaining mechanisms, or the equivalent, the bolts would not remain parallel and alignment of the rim holes with the threaded portions of the bolts would be extremely difficult.
However, such nuts and clamps have the disadvantages that they are difficult to fasten when the bolts extend through a pan-shaped portion of the wheel body. Furthermore, in the case of the clamp, it is necessary to employ a special tool in order to remove and replace the clamp on the bolt.
It is normally impractical to use a resilient element such as a spring between the bolt head and a wall because such elements, including those made of rubber, tend to loosen rather easily if not supported on two or more sides.